Skald, Variant (5e Class)

Skald

Skalds are poets, historians, and keepers of lore who use their gifts for oration and song to inspire allies into a frenzied rage. They balance a violent spirit with the veneer of civilization, recording events such as heroic battles and the deeds of great leaders, enhancing these stories in the retelling to earn bloodier victories in combat. A skald's poetry is nuanced and often has multiple overlapping meanings, and he applies similar talents to emulate magic from other spellcasters.

Creating a Skald

Unknown Source

Quick Build

You can make a Skald quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength and Constitution.

Class Features

As a Skald you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Skald level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Skald level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armour
Weapons: Simple, Martial
Tools: 3 Musical Instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Strength, Charisma
Skills: Choose one from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival and one of any other skills.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A Martial weapon or (b) Any two simple weapons
• (a) Four Javelins or (b) A short bow and 20 arrows
• (a) Leather Armour or (b) Chain Mail Armour
• (a) An Entertainer's Pack or (b) An Explorer's Pack
• A musical instrument you are proficient with

Table: The Skald

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Spells Known	Cantrips Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Inspired Rage,Unarmored Defense	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Skill Mastery	2	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Skaldic Path, Song of Marching	3	2	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Font of Rage, Additional Rage	4	3	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Skaldic Path Feature	4	3	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Healing Rage, Multiple Rage	5	3	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	3	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	Inspired Fear, Additional Rage	6	3	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Skaldic Path Feature	6	4	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Skill Mastery	7	4	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	4	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Additional Rage, Feral Instinct	8	4	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Skaldic Path Feature	8	4	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Multiple Rage	9	4	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	Additional Rage	10	4	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Indomitable Might	10	4	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	11	4	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Master Skald	11	4	4	3	3	3	2

Inspired Rage

At 1st level, You can use a bonus action on your turn to choose one willing creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains the following effect until the end of the skald's next turn.

-Advantage on all Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

-When it make a melee weapon attack using Strength, it gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll

-Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

-If it is able to cast spells, it can't cast them or concentrate on them

These effects ends early if the target is knocked unconscious or if it's turn ends and it hasn't attacked a hostile creature since it's last turn or taken damage since then.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Unarmored Defense

While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Skill Mastery

At 2nd level, a skald can choose one skill. He becomes proficient in the chosen skill plus Performance, if already proficient in Performance he double it's proficiency bonus in that skill. You can choose a second skill at 11th.

Spellcasting

At 2nd level you have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your magic and rage. A skald's spells are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every skald spell has a verbal component—these verbal components can take the form of song, recitation, or even non-verbal music like percussion.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Skald table.

Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list. The Spells Known column of the Skald table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your skald spells. Your magic comes from the rage you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

A skald uses instruments as an arcane focus

Skaldic Path

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes the nature of your rage, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

Song of Marching

When you reach 3rd level, you can perform a series of verses that invigorates you and your allies during long travels. While traveling for an hour or more, difficult terrain does not slow your group's travel, and your group has advantage on saving throws made to resist the effect of any harsh terrains or climates while traveling.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Font of Rage

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Inspired Rage when you finish a short or long rest.

Additional Rage

Your use of Inspired rage are increased by 1; this feature grant one additional use at 5th level and again at 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.

Healing Rage

At 7th level, when you grant the Inspired Rage to allies they recover a number of hit point equal to 1d8 + your Charisma Modifier.

Multiple Rage

At 7th level, when you grant the Inspired Rage to an ally you can immediately choose another valid target, it gains the same benefits as the original target from Inspired Rage and other Skald's Class feature that interact with it whitout spending additional uses of it. You Can select a Second extra target at 15th.

Inspired Fear

Beginning at 9th level, you can generate terror in your enemies; when you take the attack action you can renouncing one of your attacks to force an enemy you are threatening in melee to make a Wisdom saving throw against the DC of your spells; if it fails the target is frightened by you and its speed becomes 0 for 1 minute; at the end of each of his turns he can make the saving throw again to put an end to this effect. You must finish a short or long rest before use this feature again.

Feral Instinct

By 13th level, you have advantage on initiative rolls.

Additionally, if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren't incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn, but you can only move and make one action or bonus action not both.

Indomitable Might

Beginning at 18th level, if your total for a Strength check is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total.

Skald Master

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Inspired Rage left, you regain two uses. Your Strength and Charisma scores increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores is now 22.

Path of Aggression

Followers of the Path of Aggression favour their barbaric strength over their bardic cunning, seeing brute force as the best solution to every problem.

Rage Durability

Starting at 3st level, your hit point maximum increases by 3 and when you gain a Skald level you gain an additional hit point. In addition you can choose yourself as a target for the inspired rage.

Perfect Rage

Starting at 3st level, when you choose yourself (and no other whit the multiple rage feature)you can spend two uses of inspired rage, the duration of rage is increased to 1 minute; until you are raging by this effect you can't use inspired rage again; you can dismiss the rage like bonus action.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Brutal Critical

At 10th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. This increases to two additional dice at 14th level.

Relentless Rage

Starting at 14th level, if you drop to 0 hit points while you're raging and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.

Path of the Artist

Not all skalds use only brute force, some look for beauty and inspiration in everything around them.

Bardic Inspiration

At 3rd level You can use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

The uses of this feature increase when you reach certain levels; you have 1 use at 3rd level, 2 at 6th, 3 at 10th, 4 at 14th. You must finish a long rest to regain any expended uses of this ability.

Skill Versatility

At 6th level you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus. In addition you can select one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiencies.

Minor Magical Secrets

At 10th level, choose one spells from any classes, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Skald table, or a cantrip.

The chosen spell count as skald spells for you but are not included in the number in the spells known column of the Skald table.

In addition the Bardic inspiration die become a d8.

Lucid Rage

At 14th level while the bard give the inspired rage to a creature able to cast spells, it can cast them or concentrate on them while raging. In addition the bardic die become a d10.

Path of The General

Skalds that follow the path of the General use their songs direct the ally on the battlefield.

Command: Charge

At 3rd level while a creature receive the inspired rage can use it's reaction to move up to it's speed without generating attack of opportunity.

Command: Move

At 3th level the inspired rage grants the following benefit:

-The target can take the Disengage and Dash action like bonus action.

-The target speed increases by 10 feet while it isn't wearing heavy armor.

Command: Attack on the defensive

At 6th level the inspired rage grants the following benefit:

-When the target take the Dodge action it can make an attack as a bonus action.

Command: Resist

At 10th level while you use song of healing you heal 1d8 extra hit point. At 14th the extra healing increase to 2d8.

Command: Attack

At 14th level the inspired rage grants the following benefit:

-If the target take the attack action it can make an extra attack using it's bonus action and reaction.

Path of Magic

Skalds following the Path of the magic focus on the power of magic to control every situation.

Magic Initiate

At 3rd level you gain proficiency with Arcana if you do not already have it. In addition, You gain a new spell from the bard list at 3rd, 6th, 10th, 14th level. Those spell doesn't count in the number of spell known of the skald list.

The Magic Secret

At 6th level, you can try to cast a spell in a furtive way, you can cast a spell without having to provide verbal and somatic components. To cast a spell in this way you must however be able to perform with a musical instrument in which you are competent; so you can't use this ability in a zone of silence or if you are restrained. You can use this feature a number of time equal to your Charisma Modifier.

Magic power

At 10th level,when you cast a spell that can be casted at highter level you can cast the spell as if it were 1 level higher than the slot you are consuming even if you do not have slots of that level. You can use this feature 1 time at 10th level and 2 at 14th level before you must make a long rest.

Magical Secrets

At 14th level choose two spells from any classes, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Skald table, or a cantrip.

The chosen spells count as skald spells for you but are not included in the number in the spells known column of the Skald table. In addition once per long rest you can cast a skald spell whithout spent any spell slot; the level of magic must be one that you can cast as skald.

Path of Performer

Some Skalds seek in the sound a way for the mind and exploit this knowledge to strengthen allies and weaken their enemies.

Enthralling Performance

Starting at 3rd level, if you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, it speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it avoids violence unless it was already inclined to fight on your behalf. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies.

If a target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

No fear

At 6th level the inspired rage grants the following benefit:

-if the target is frightened, that condition ends on that creature.

-the target is immune to the frightened condition.

The sound is MY friend

Starting at 10th level you gain resistance to thunder damage; in addition like action you can make a performance check using a musical instrument versus a DC equal to the AC of a creature whithin 60 feet from you. If you exceed the DC you inflict 2d6 + your Charisma modifier thunder damage to the target; but it must be able to hear you. The damage increase a 3d6 + your Charisma modifier at 14th.

The sound of victory

You use your Action, and reaction to start an intense performance whit a musical instrument; Until the start of your next turn you can roll 2d4 and add or subtract the result from any d20 roll occuring whitin 60 feet of you (you roll 2d4 and choose each time a d20 is rolled but before the roll is made). You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Skald class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13, Strength 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Skald class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, one musical instrument of your choice

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes